Closure crimping device



Sept. 9, 1969 H. z. SOKOL CLOSURE CRIMPING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 17, 1965 INVENTOR HERBERT Z. SOKOL ATTORNEY 3.

United States Patent O 3,465,498 CLOSURE CRIMPING DEVICE Herbert Z. Sokol, Atlanta, Ga., assignor, by mesne assignments, to American Lecithin Company, Atlanta, Ga., a corporation of Georgia Filed Feb. 17, 1965, Ser. No. 433,360

The portion of the term of the patent subsequent to Sept. 9, 1985, has been disclaimed Int. Cl. B67b 3/08, 3/14, 3/26 US. Cl. 53348 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A dual double acting piston and cylinder arrangement for pressing a container cap against a container through the action of one piston-cylinder combination whereafter the other piston-cylinder combination crimps the cap in place. A timer-controlled system supplies pressurized fluid to the piston-cylinder combination.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the quantity production of containers provided with a separate cap or valve device sealingly engaged therewith and fixedly secured thereto, it is of principal importance that the mechanism used be so constructed as to minimize breakdowns and, at the same time, it is vital that the mechanism be capable of automatic adaptation to slight variations in the height of the container uniformly to compress the sealing gasket between the cap and the body of the container prior to the crimping operation. Consequently, even though spring devices represent an obvious method of the aforesaid accommodation and also possess the added advantage of allowing means for automatic retraction of the mechanism, their use is propense to not infrequent breakage. That is to say, spring devices used in this environment and subjected to the high rate and prolonged repetition of stress reversal incidental to operation are almost certain to fail by fatigue causing the machine to be shut down temporarily for repair.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a crimping .assembly or more particularly to an assembly for sealingly engaging and fixing a collar member to a container in which a dual cylinder and piston assembly is adapted to effect the uniform and predetermined sealing engagement of the gasket element while at the same time readily accommodating for variations in height of the containers with out altering this sealing pressure or causing damage to the containers or the caps and in which a second piston is effective to operate the crimping jaws during the time that the cap or closure element is held in sealingly engaged relation with respect to the container.

More particularly, the present invention encompasses the above combination including also a fluid actuating system comprising a pair of timers for controlling the separate piston cylinder components so that the piston cylinder components which effects the downward pressure of the cap against the container body is maintained for a period of time of predetermined duration during which the second timer operates the second piston cylinder arrangement to actuate and then release the crimping mechanism whereafter the first timer in conjunction with an associated valve causes the first piston cylinder arrangement to withdraw the assembly from engagement with the container and cap there formed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view showing the system in its entirety, and

ice

FIG. 2 is a vertical section taken through the sealing and crimping mechanism.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION With reference now more particularly to FIG. 1, the mechanism 10 is adapted to fix a cap or valve assembly to a container body by first pressing the cap sealingly against the container body and thereafter crimping the cap in place, the mechanism then acting to withdraw .and allow the next succeeding container-cap assembly to be placed in registry thereunder. The system operates from a source 12 of actuating fiuid and, for this purpose, the source or supply 12 may be simply a suitable source of air under pressure. A conduit 14 extends from the supply 12 to regulator valves 16, 18, such valves being of conventional configuration, it being understood they are capable of adjustments to reduce the pressure through outlet conduits 20, 22 to suitable valves for operation of the mechanism hereinafter more particularly described.

The conduits 20, 22 lead respectively to spool valve assemblies 24, 26 having inlet nipples 28, 30 respectively. Each of the valves has a pair of outlets 32, 34 for the valve 26 and 36, 38 for the valve 24. Each of the valves is provided with an internal bore 40 and 42, respectively, within which spool valve elements 44, 46 are movable. Each spool valve has a pair of land portions 48, 50 which, dependent upon the position of the spool valve within the bore with which they are associated selectively cover and uncover the outlets 32, 34 or 36, 38 as will be understood by those skilled in the art.

For actuating the spools 44, 46, each of the valve assemblies 24 and 26 is provided with a pair of solenoid devices 52, 54 and 56, 58. The manner of actuating the spools 44 and 46 by means of these solenoids may be as desired. For example, there may be no direct connection between the solenoid and the spools, the spools simply acting as the armatures of the solenoids so as to be shuttled back and forth depending upon which of the sole noids at the opposite ends of each valve assembly is actuated or, alternatively, solenoid armatures may be provided and connected directly to the spools. In any event, the specific details of operation of the spool valves forms no part of this invention.

The two outlets 32, 34 of the spool valve assembly 26 are connected by means of conduits and 62 to the inlet nipples 64 and 66 of a double acting piston-cylinder arrangement whereas the outlet nipples 36 and 38 of the spool valve assembly 24 are connected by conduits 64 and 66 to the inlet nipples 68 and 70 of a second double acting piston-cylinder arrangement of the mechanism 10. The valve 26 and its connections actuates the mechanism 10 to reciprocate the same downwardly to press the cap or valve sealingly into engagement with the associated container body and to maintain such pressure until the valve 24 is actuated to eifect the crimping action, and then to release the crimping mechanism whereafter the valve 26 is actuated to retract the mechanism in the upper direction so that the next container-cap assembly may -be positioned in registry therebeneath.

To effect such action, timer assemblies 72 and 74 are utilized, the first of which is set into operation by .actuation of a switch 76 which is electrically connected by conductor 78 to the timer mechanism 72 so as to initiate operation thereof. As soon as the timer mechanism 72 is actuated, conductor 80 is energized to correspondingly energize the solenoid 52 of the valve mechanism 26 and shuttle the spool 44 thereof to the left as shown in FIG. 1 shutting off the connection between the inlet nipple 28 and the outlet nipple 34 and establishing communication between the inlet 28 and the outlet nipple 32. The consequent pressurization of the conduit 62 actuates the mechanism as hereinafter set forth to reciprocate the same vertically downwardly and cause a closure engaging element thereof at its lower end to engage the cap and, in proportion the fluid pressure existing in the line 62 as .adjusted by the regulator 18, to establish a predetermined sealing pressure against the cap or valve regardless of the particular height of the container with which the cap or valve is associated.

During the downward stroke of the mechanism 10, a collar member 90 engages a finger 92 of a switch 94, actuating such switch to energize conductor 96 leading to the other timer 74 and thus actuating the time cycle thereof. As soon as the timer 74 is actuated, the conductor 98 is energized to correspondingly energize the solenoid 58 and shuttle the spool 46 to the right in FIG. 1 thus establishing communication between the inlet conduit and the conduit 64 leading to the inlet nipple 68 of the mechanism 10. This, as will hereinafter be described, actuates the crimping mechanism. All during this time, the cycle time for the timer 72 is running and before the duration of the time period of the cycle time of the timer 72 is terminated, the cycle time of the timer 74 is terminated to deenergize the conductor 96, deenergizing the solenoid 58 and energizing conductor 100, energizing the solenoid 56 to shuttle the spool 46 back to the position shown in FIG. 1 so as to communicate the conduit 66 with the inlet conduit 20 and retract the crimping mechanism.

As soon as the crimping mechanism is retracted, the cycle time of the timer 72 is terminated to deenergize the conductor 80 and energize conductor 102 which shuttles the spool 44 back to the position shown in FIG. 1 and thereby communicates the conduit 60 with the inlet conduit 22 to vertically retract the mechanism 10, allowing the feed mechanism for the containers with their caps loosely placed thereon to register another cap-container assembly beneath the mechanism 10 for subsequent operation. The switch 7-6 is provided with an arm 106 and this arm may be actuated either manually or by an automatic timing apparatus such as a cam driven element automatically to sequence successive actuations of the switch 76 which initiates the sealing and crimping operation.

The terminals of the mechanism 10, seen best in FIG. 2, includes a suitable fixture support 108 which carries a guide rod 110 upon which rides an apertured finger 112 for guiding purposes as will hereinafter appear. The mechanism 10 includes an upper piston 114 and a lower piston 116. The upper piston 114 is slidably engaged in an upper cylinder 118 and is provided with a plunger or stem 120 which projects upwardly through the upper end of the mechanism 10 .and is firmly secured to a flange portion 122 of the support mechanism 108. The upper end of the cylinder 118 is closed by a centrally apertured end wall member 124 which slidably receives the stem or plunger 120.

The inlet nipple 64, FIG. 1, connects with a passage 126 above the piston 114 so that when actuating fluid is present in chamber 128 above the piston 114, the cylinder 118 will be urged upwardly to the position shown in FIG. 2. The lower end of the cylinder 118 is closed by an end plug member 130. The inlet nipple '66, FIG. 1, is connected to passage 132 leading to chamber 134 beneath the piston 114 so that when the chamber 134 is pressurized, the entire mechanism will be downwardly moved. The end plug 130 also serves to mount and close the upper end of the lower cylinder 134 and the lower end of this cylinder is closed by end plug member 136, the piston 116 operating therebetween.

Two passages 138 and 140 are connected to the inlet nipples 68 and 70 whereby selectively to communicate either chamber 142 or chamber 144 with the actuating fluid. The piston 116 is provided with a stem or plunger 146 which projects slidably through the end plug 136 and carries an actuating foot 148 at its lower end. The end plug 136 is provided with a threaded stern portion 150 which threadedly engages a guide shroud cup 152 and between these two elements is interposed .a washer 154 carrying the aforementioned apertured finger 112 which slidably engages on the guide rod 110.

The foot 148 is provided with a plurality of depending posts 156 which project through suitable apertures in an inwardly stepped portion 158 of the guide shroud and which are connected at their lower ends to the actuating sleeve 160. The actuating sleeve is provided at its lower end with an internally threaded portion 162 which receives the cam sleeve 164 for adjustment relative thereto. The stepped portion 158 also receives the upper end of an element 166 which, at its lower end, is provided with a recess 168 for receiving the top of the cap or valve and which presents an annular end face 170 for pressing against the flange skirt of the cap element. Thus, the element 166, which constitutes the closure element engaging member, is fixed to the lower end of the cylinder 118 .and is rigidly carried thereby.

A collet type of crimping jaw sleeve 172 is engaged at its upper end in a threaded bore portion 174 of the opposite member 158 as is common with such elements, the crimping jaws and their immediately joining single portions 176 and provided with the cam surfaces 178 cooperating with the cam sleeve 164 so that when the collar or sleeve is moved downwardly the crimping jaws and more especially the crimping edge portions 180 thereof will be thrust inwardly to effect the crimping action.

By virtue of the fact that there are many different types of caps or valves which may require handling, the spacing between the end face and the jaws may be adjusted by threading the element 166 and the sleeve 172, and set screws 182 .and 184 are provided for making a final lock engagement to hold the relative position of these parts. Similarly, a set screw 186 is provided between the collar or sleeve 160 and the cam sleeve 164 so as to adjust the degree to which the jaws 180 are forced inwardly during the stroke of the crimping piston 116.

Although certain specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it is obvious that many modifications thereof are possible. The invention, therefore, is not to be restricted except insofar as is necessitated by the prior art and by the spirit of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. An assembly for sealingly engaging and fixing a closure member to a container, comprising in combination:

a support,

a dual piston and cylinder assembly carried by said support and vertically reciprocable with respect thereto, said assembly including a first piston for effecting said reciprocation, a closure member engaging element fixed to the lower end of said piston and cylinder assembly, a plurality of crimping jaws carried by the lower end of said piston and cylinder assembly below said closure member engaging element, a collar slidably engaging said crimping jaws for urging them into inwardly projected crimping position, and a second piston for actuating said collar, a source of actuating fluid,

said first and second pistons being double acting,

first and second valve means connecting said source to respective pistons for selectively effecting double action thereof,

a first timer for controlling said first valve means to urge said closure member engaging element against a closure member for a time period of predetermined duration and thereafter to withdraw said element,

and a second timer for controlling said second valve means to actuate said collar and urge said jaws into crimping position and thereafter withdraw said collar within a time period shorter than and within said time period of predetermined duration.

2. The assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said first piston is fixed to said support and said closure member engaging element is fixed to the cylinder within which said first piston operates.

3. The assembly as defined in claim 2 wherein said crimping jaws are fixed to said cylinder Within which said first piston operates.

4. The assembly as defined in claim 3 wherein said collar is fixed to said second piston, said closure member adjustable with respect to said cylinder for accommodating closure members of difierent types.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,030,164 6/1912 Craggs 53-348 1,094,776 4/1914 Brinkman 53348 X 3,075,331 1/1963 Stanley 53-348 X engaging element and said crimping jaws being relatively 10 TRAVIS S. MCGEHEE, Primary Examiner 

